Savor tropical
luxury and learn to cook in new ways & with new ingredients at the new Creole Cooking School located in the mountains
above the Pacific Ocean not far from San Ramon, Alajuela, Costa Rica. Arrive at Cerro Coyote, or Coyote Mountain, in
the morning and begin your day with a tour of organic vegetable gardens and fruit orchards followed by hands-on culinary instruction
in the Hacienda’s spacious teaching kitchen. Next, assist as the chef-instructors prepare a 4-course lunch, learning
the essential techniques of Creole cooking and the secrets of cooking with tropical ingredients from nearby farms embedded
in one of the world’s richest agricultural environments.
At lunchtime, enjoy gourmet dining overlooking the Pacific
from 1200 meters in altitude, sip a drink in the Observatory Bar, and wander the trails of Cerro Coyote’s private nature
preserve, surrounded by coffee plantations.
Overnight accommodations
are available too, as are multi-day culinary vacations. In addition to tropical Creole, instruction can include Louisiana
Creole, Mediterranean, and Spanish cuisines. Groups from 2-14 are welcome, and special tours and programs can be arranged
upon request.
Your chef-instructors
include Daniel G. Abel, Charles L. Leary, and Vaughn J. Perret, authors of the Trout Point Lodge Cookbook: Creole Cuisine
from New Orleans to Nova Scotia (Random House, 2004). This entrepreneurial trio has been featured in Food & Wine
magazine, Chatelaine, and National Geographic Traveler, among others. They serve as the chefs at Trout Point
Lodge in Nova Scotia and also operate the Granada Cooking School in Andalusia, Spain. Abel, Perret, and Leary bring years
of experience with foods, farming, and cooking to the Tropical Creole Cooking School, the first culinary vacation program
of its kind in Central America. The cost is $99 per person.
Typical
Itinerary:
10 a.m. Arrive
at Cerro Coyote for refreshments, tour of gardens and plantations. (The cooking school is centrally located, an easy drive
from the San Jose metro area, Puntarenas, and Arenal.)
11 am –
12:45 pm Begin lunch preparation and hands-on culinary instruction, including the basics of Creole style, techniques, and
ingredients. Produce an entire 4-course meal with the chef-instructors.
1 pm Lunch,
including wine or a drink, in the Dining Room, Patio, or terrace
2 pm Free time
to ask questions, explore the nature preserve, or relax in the Observatory Bar.
3 pm Depart
for your next destination or return to your hotel.
Costa Rica Creole Cooking School info@cerrocoyote.com
Calle La Tabla, Piedades Sur de San Ramon de Alajuela (506) 383-0544
